Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1887-12-24
THE ORIGIN OF CHRISTMAS.


OPENING HIS sAcK.n
THE ORIGIN OF CHRISTMAS.
The e5th of December was Originally
the Roinan Saturnalia.
Tne celebration Of Christmas as the
birthday of Jesus is universal among
Christians of every sect, n as such it
is regarded throughout Chrlsteiidom as
the sweetest, hottest of all holidays. And
| with the long mooted question, Is Dec. 20
the anniversary of Cbrist's birthe we have
nothing to do, For it matters nothing
whether it was OH this particular
date that the Christ Child first
lay in Bethlehem's lowly manager
This is the day that has been ac-
copied and will be celebrated to the end
of time. II will be of interest to most |
| readers, however, to note that 1T was not
| until the Third or Fourth century that
the present date was agreed upon, and |
that Jan, ], ian s, March 80 and Sept. |
80 were %variolsly observed during the
earlier centuries by various bodies of
I Christians. The fixing of the date seems
to have been accomplished by Julius ],
who presided as pope or bishop of Rome
from 1877 to 352 A.. ID.
Christmas is not alone anon Chris |
tian holidays in being the follower of q
somewhat similar holiday among the pa
! gans. In Rome it was called the Satur-
MALTA. And the observance of the winter
feast, now Christmas, was not confined to
the Romans The holiday appears to
have been kept by the S~canainaNians, the
perslans and the Phdeuicians, and per-
haps by many other people. All these ma
ions Worshiped the sun. under one form or
other, as The giver of all life. Each gave
the deity Il different mime. AT Rome he
WIS worshiped undergone of the characters
attributed to Saturn, the father of the
gods; ainong the ScaIdinayians as Odin, or
Wescn, The father of Thor; with the Per-
s~iansas Mithras, probably the same as the
Irish Mithr, and with The PhoeniciRns his
name was Baal or Bel.
All these nations chose about the game
1ate for this feast. This IS supposed to
have been caused by the feelings Of sdie-s
light experienced shortly after Dee. 81, be-
cause the days then begin 10 lengthel.
Then the sun begins his upward course,
and spring md Summer are approaching.
For somewhat similar reasons the pagans
of old held II great midsummer feast at or
about Jane2l.
The midwinter festival Of the Satur-
a MALTA was observed for several days in
the most unrestrained manner; every
body Toasted and work was quite sns-
pended. Even the slaves wetx allowed
complete liberty for the time being.
l-aurels and eyergreens were everywhere
displayed, The same as now, and gifts were
exchanged, and there were especial greet
ings for the season, III the north these
r%ejoieings were carried on in some
what rllder fashion, but We're an
tered INTO with not less hearty
enthusiasm. Fires were everywhere kin
died, both indoors and out, in konos OF
Odin and Thor; the Drnids gathered the
sacred mistIetoe, aud both men and cattle
We're sacrificed TO the savage diyinities.
The ancient Persians also burned immense
bontiles ut this season, and between them
and the Druids of western Europe some
sort of relationship existed.
In the later days of the Roman empire
the feast Of the Saturnalia deteriorated
! into n gross ~debauch--so gross, indeed,
that few historians have cared to defle
their pages with its details.
1t was for the purpose Of counteracting
the evil Influences of the Saturnalia, to
the celebration Of which The young Of both
sexes were very prone, that the early
Christian teachers in Rome sought to
adapt the rites of heatnen rejoicing and
render them s~ubservieht, instead of an
~tagonistic, to the cause of religion. Ger
tain forms of amusement were forbidden
and others not so gross were substituted,
but it was a long time before the people
and the clergy were of one mind regard
ing the ~obseryances of Christmas.
In Britain there were other modifica-
tions. To the modified Saturnalia were
added firstssome of the Druidical rites and
superstitions, and, after the arrival of the
Saxons, some Of the ceremonies of the
ancient Germans and Sc~andinayians. OF
these were the burning of the Yu1e log
and the superstitions regarding the mis-
tletoe bough.
In England the burning OF the Yule log
takes place Christmas eve. In 5feudal
times the bringing in of the ponderoue
block n burning it on the wide hearth
Of the great chimney Of the baroniaI hall
was observed with the greatest rejoieings.
Tho dragging Of the Yule from the forest
to the castle was In elaborate ceremony
of itself, and as it passed, every wayfarel
raised his hat, for well he knew that its
> flame would light UP scenes of feastine
a and forgiveness Of old wrongs, and that
), all would belwelcome.
! The following quaint ditty, apropes oi
/ the Yule, Is supposed to have been written
4 during the reign of Henry VI:
Welcome be thou, heavenly King;
: Welcome, born on this morning;
q Welcome, for whom WI. shall sing;
Welcome Yuie.
0 Welcome bs ye, Stephen and John;
g Welcome, Innocpnts every one;
i. Welcome, Thomas. martyr ones
:, Welcome Yule.
: Welcome be We, good New Year;
v Welcome Twelfth day, both in fere;s
r. Welcome, saints loved ard dear;
e Welcome Yule.
Welcome be We. Candlemas:
~ Welcome hege, queen of bliaS;
Welcome both to more and less;
Welcome Ynle.
Welcome he ye that are here; -
3. NelroJae all, and make good cher;
% Weicom,e an. another year;
N - Welcome Yntc.
SIN company. ~
Among the Isngltsh the nlistIetos bougl
3 is always ~iangsIover the center of iii,
e room On Christmas Eve, and any danse
Ssho, either BY Chance or on purpose
places herself beneath it has to pay Til,
penalty of being kissed by all the mel
who are present. ~
OF course none of ihe fair sex eve
places herself under the mistletoe witt
malice ~aforethought. s